BYD Atto 8 Review: Is This the Family EV Saudi Buyers Have Been Waiting For?

Saudi Arabia: Chinese auto brand and world leader in electric vehicles, BYD launched the Atto 8 at the Riyadh Motor Show in December 2025, marking its GCC debut as a 7‑seat, three‑row plug‑in hybrid SUV. This is a strategic expansion of its portfolio of family cars. As the brand’s first seven‑seat big SUV in the kingdom, the Atto 8 aims at buyers looking for a spacious SUV with the latest tech and a high‑quality interior at an affordable price, without the running costs of large petrol SUVs. Its arrival underlines the growing influence of PHEVs, which are not just for city commutes but serious options for larger households with everyday demands in the city and on the highway.

For Saudi families, practicality matters more than headline specs. The BYD Atto 8 promises a quieter drive, lower fuel costs, and enough room for school runs, weekend trips, and daily errands. The real question is how well it handles heat, Long Distance Weekend Road Trips, and charging convenience. If it delivers on those basics, the Atto 8 could finally make electric family motoring feel realistic rather than experimental.

Market Entry: Why Now?

Look at BYD’s market entry in KSA; it has been carefully calibrated. The Chinese brand entered the market through local partner Al-Futtaim in early 2024, bringing the Atto 3 first, followed by the Seal and then the sedans. The company is currently expanding its service networks in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. Now they are expanding their offering, with Saudi families wanting a hybrid seven‑seater that costs around SAR 170,000.

That’s the starting price for the Premium variant, so it’s certainly not cheap, but it’s reasonable when you consider what you’re getting. The DM‑p Performance variant with all‑wheel drive is priced higher, though BYD Saudi has not yet revealed the exact figure.​

The significance of this car? The Chinese brand is now directly targeting families who looked at the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Sorento, and even the Nissan Patrol but wanted something more efficient without going fully electric. Range anxiety is real here. Saudi Arabian Charging infrastructure exists mostly in major cities. The Atto 8 does not make you choose between efficiency and practicality.

The Numbers That Matter

Specification	Premium (DM-i)	Performance (DM-p)
Price	SAR 168,700	TBA
Seating	7 adults	7 adults
Range (WLTC)	Up to 728 km	Up to 728 km
Power	275 HP	480 HP (combined)
0-100 km/h	8 seconds	4.9 seconds
Fuel Consumption	8.5 L/100km	Higher (TBA)
Drivetrain	FWD	AWD
Battery	Blade Battery (PHEV)	Blade Battery (PHEV)

The Premium variant uses a single motor, so it’s FWD and efficient. The Performance variant gets a second motor at the rear, making it AWD and really fast. 0–100 km/h in 4.9 seconds is sports‑car territory in a vehicle that seats seven.

Bold Exterior

The Atto 8 measures just over five metres, which makes it long enough to give space inside and still manageable in parking. The front grille is wide, the LED headlights are slim, and the overall look is modern without trying too hard. The design language, which BYD refers to as “contemporary”, is not extraordinary, but it also won’t turn heads. Most families will find the design perfectly fine.

Premium Interior

This is where the Atto 8 makes its case, as the cabin is genuinely spacious. A 2,950 mm wheelbase means real legroom in the second row. The third row is actually usable for adults on short trips, and for kids, it’s comfortable.

Top Highlights:

• 11‑layer perforated leather seats with front seat massage
• 14‑way power adjustment for driver and passenger
• Seat ventilation in both first and second rows
• Premium 21‑speaker audio system
• Head‑up display
• Two wireless phone charging pads
• Hands‑free electric tailgate

The massage seats are definitely not a gimmick; after a three‑hour drive, they make a real difference in comfort. The ventilated seats in Saudi heat are essential, not a luxury. BYD has actually designed the cabin quite well; the build quality is solid, and the materials look premium. Not Mercedes‑level, but a big step up from most Chinese brands five years ago. BYD has learned, and that’s one of the reasons it’s doing so well in overseas markets.

Features and Technology

The Atto 8 comes loaded with tech. Whether you want all of it is another question, but it's there.

Standard equipment includes:

• Large infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• BYD app for remote climate control and door locks
• 360‑degree camera with parking assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane keeping assist
• Blind spot monitoring and rear cross‑traffic alert
• Automatic emergency braking
• Traffic sign recognition
• Driver drowsiness alert

The infotainment screen is large and responsive, and the interface is intuitive. You don’t need the manual for basic functions. That matters more than people think. One complaint: the voice control is optimistic about what it can do. So it’s better to stick to CarPlay for reliable voice commands.

Safety

This is cool, to ensure the driver and passengers feel confident driving this big car around. BYD offers 11 airbags, which it highlights in marketing, and that’s a good thing in a segment where safety matters.

But what matters more is how the car handles Saudi conditions. Gulf‑spec models include enhanced cooling systems. The Blade Battery is tested to resist thermal runaway in extreme heat. BYD’s data shows only about 12% degradation at 50°C over time. Whether this holds over five years of Saudi summers remains to be seen, but it’s better than most earlier EVs managed.

The structure uses high‑strength steel in critical areas, and crash test results from China show good performance, though no official Gulf NCAP rating exists yet. ADAS systems work well in clear conditions. In dust storms or heavy sand? They’re less reliable. Turn them off rather than fighting the alerts.

Powertrain: The Hybrid Promise

BYD calls this its 5th‑generation DM‑i Super Hybrid system; here’s what it actually means. The car has a 1.5L turbo petrol engine and electric motors; the battery is a plug‑in unit. You can charge it at home or at public chargers. When the battery runs low, the petrol engine takes over.

In pure electric mode, you get roughly 100–110 km of real‑world Saudi range. That covers most daily commutes in Riyadh or Jeddah; for longer trips, the hybrid system kicks in automatically. The total range with a full tank and battery is nearly 728 km, according to WLTC. In real-world mixed driving, that’s around 600–650 km, from Riyadh to Jeddah and back without refuelling.

Fuel consumption is around 8.5 L/100 km in mixed driving, which is excellent for a seven‑seater SUV. But it requires discipline. Charge regularly, and the economy stays very low; leave it in petrol mode, and the numbers rise quickly.

The Family Angle: Does It Actually Work?

Here is the reality: most seven‑seaters in this price range compromise somewhere. The Toyota Fortuner is tough but dated inside. The Hyundai Palisade is spacious but thirsty. The Kia Sorento is refined, but the third row feels cramped.

The Atto 8 has some compromises too. Just different ones.

What works for families:

• Truly comfortable for seven people on trips under two hours
• Low running costs if you charge regularly
• Enough power in the Performance variant to merge confidently on highways
• Effective climate control that properly cools the third row
• Decent cargo space with the third row folded

What doesn’t:

• Resale value is unknown, as BYD is still new in Saudi; finding a buyer after 3–4 years may be hard.
• The service network is limited; spare parts outside major cities are not yet widespread.
• Brand perception matters here; some buyers still avoid Chinese brands regardless of quality, although this is slowly changing.
• The Premium trim might feel underpowered when fully loaded on mountain roads.

The Rivals: Where Does It Fit?

7-Seater SUV Comparison in KSA

Model	Starting Price (SAR)	Fuel Economy	Key Strengths	Key Weaknesses
BYD Atto 8	168,700	8.5 L/100km	Superior efficiency, premium interior, advanced hybrid tech	New brand, uncertain resale
Hyundai Palisade	173,500	10.4 L/100km	Spacious third row, established brand, strong resale	Higher price, worse economy
Kia Sorento	140,000	~9-11 L/100km	Cheaper entry, hybrid option, wide service network	Less powerful hybrid, average premium feel
Nissan X-Trail	~130,000	~8-9 L/100km	Proven reliability, good value	Smaller size, less power/tech
Toyota Fortuner	123,000	11-13 L/100km	Desert durability, top resale	Thirsty engine, dated interior

Conclusion

Is the BYD Atto 8 the family PHEV that Saudi buyers have been waiting for? The answer is still in the “maybe” territory. It depends entirely on the buyer’s profile and what they actually need. If you drive mostly in cities, charge at the Home EV Charging System regularly, and want something more efficient than traditional SUVs without going full electric. If you value features, space, and comfort over brand prestige. And if you’re okay with some uncertainty about resale value and aftersales maturity.

This massive SUV certainly is not for everyone, for sure. If you need a seven‑seater that holds value like a Toyota or has Hyundai’s wide service network, then this may not be the ideal fit. If you’re doing frequent long‑distance desert trips, the Fortuner makes more practical sense, and so the decision is not straightforward.

However, what’s hard to ignore is that BYD has become the world’s largest EV maker, which means millions of buyers around the world already trust this brand. When looked at closely, BYD has built something genuinely competitive here. The Atto 8’s strengths – space, efficiency, features, and performance – at a price that undercuts most premium rivals are impossible to dismiss. For early adopters ready to accept some risk, it’s a very compelling choice. For conservative buyers, it’s still a bit too early. But what is clear is that Saudi families now have real options, and that is a very good thing.